Feed is the major cost of indoor lamb production, it accounts for up to £12/lamb reared (MLC, 1994) which is equivalent to 23% of the output value. Most intensively produced lambs are fed expensive specially formulated lamb creep diets. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect varying the proportions of the starch (barley, WB) and digestible fibre (dried molassed sugar beet feed; SBF) and a protein pellet compared to a commercial lamb creep (LC) on lamb physical and financial performance.

180 early weaned lambs, (weaned at 6 weeks of age), weighing on average 17.5 kg liveweight were allocated to one of six treatments; 0% SBF, 20% SBF, 40% SBF, 60% SBF, 80% SBF and LC. Each diet contained 20% protein balancer pellets with the remainder being whole barley. The LC diet was offered alone.